Product Description

optics, technical innovations, and aggressive product development. Over the last few years, they've developed a powerful lineup of digital cameras, ranging from surprisingly feature-rich entry-level models, all the way to the extreme high end of professional digital SLRs. Last year, their PowerShot G2 prosumer model was one of the top two or three cameras on the entire Imaging Resource site, a fact I attribute to the superb job Canon did in designing and producing it. - The G2 was one of those rare cameras that really hit all the right notes with the "enthusiast" crowd, offering a rich feature set and excellent image quality.

Now, Canon has updated the G2, calling the result the PowerShot G3. To the surprise of many, they eschewed the five megapixel sensors employed by many of their competitors in high-end prosumer models, choosing instead to stay with the proven four megapixel chip first seen in the G2. (I'm told the reason for this is that Canon was unwilling to accept the image noise tradeoff that the current crop of 5 megapixel CCDs require.) While the sensor has remained the same, numerous feature and user interface enhancements (including a new 4x zoom lens with fast f/2.0 maximum aperture) combine to result in a noticeably different user experience. Read on below for the full story, but based on my early look at the new model, I'd say Canon has come up with a very worthy successor to the wildly popular G2.

Images

I bought mine in 2003 and am still using it in 2007. The pictures have been excellent and I have tried a couple lighter cameras that were very promising, including a 7.2 megapixel camera, the Canon A620, but when all is said and done, this camera still delivers the best shots. One nice feature is the battery, it is big enough to give tons of shots before running. down. This is because it is a camcorder battery, not the typical one that comes with a smaller camera.

The newer G models have given more megapixels but lost the RAW format which is a true loss for those who prefer shooting in that mode. You can no longer buy the G3 but should you come across one that is used and in working order, it'd be a bargain to pick up and use. I paid over 700 dollars for mine originally (back in the day) but I've taken over 8000 shots. I've certainly gotten my money's worth. I give this camera an A.

I have a Canon G5 (no longer available) and am very pleased. Takes tremendous photos and has endured hundreds of miles of backpacking, trips, etc. I definitely recommend Canon G series cameras (I think the latest is G9) for anyone looking for an advanced point and shoot and doesn't want to deal with the weight and size of a SLR.

Many of the pictures I have posted currently in my gallery were taken with these cameras. The current model is the G10 but I saw little to recommend it over the G9 which is a wonderful high-end point and shoot with sufficient manual control and raw shooting capability to keep many photographers happy; especially those wishing to keep camera weight down but options open.